Sky Sports Living for Sport Youngsters Win
Participants in the Sky Sports Living For Sport initiative from three Hounslow schools won the chance to visit Sky Studios for the ultimate UEFA Champions League Sky Sports behind-the-scenes experience.
Last Wednesday, 15 lucky secondary school students from Gumley House Convent School, Lampton School and The Heathland School were invited to Sky Studios in Isleworth. They spent the evening with the production team of UEFA Champions League football coverage on Sky Sports.
The students were briefed by producer Gary Hughes and video content senior manager Tom Middleditch, went on a tour of the studios and event ate dinner in the staff canteen! The group were then taken behind-the-scenes of the UEFA Champions League studio, met presenter Jeff Stelling and match experts Gary Neville, Jamie Redknapp and John Collins.
Sky Sports Living for Sport, delivered in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust, is a free UK secondary schools initiative that uses sport stars and sport skills to boost confidence, change behaviours, increase attainment and improve life skills.
Gary Hughes, Sky Sports UEFA Champions League producer, said: “It was fantastic to have an enthusiastic group come to Sky Studios and see just what goes into producing eight live football matches at once. Our Champions League set up is like no other, and it was great to break down the different elements within the studio and gallery and show the students something they won’t ever have seen before.”
Sky’s Community Investment Manager, Cath Desson, said: “It was terrific to be able to offer these schools taking part in Sky Sports Living for Sport projects the chance to come and learn what’s involved in broadcasting live football matches and see the different career opportunities available here for them in the future. We were really impressed with the questions the students had for the team and look forward to offering more opportunities to local Hounslow schools in the near future.”
Andy Killock, Gumley House Convent School teacher said: “The students had a fantastic evening and were buzzing from the atmosphere in the gallery and the studio. It was such an exciting opportunity for them to see how much work goes into the production of not just one, but eight live sporting events broadcast simultaneously. The highlight of the evening was visiting the studios to meet presenter Jeff Stelling and ex-footballers Gary Neville, Jamie Redknapp and John Collins but the whole evening was well organised and enjoyable for all involved.”
The students went on to watch Celtic beat Spanish outfit FC Barcelona as well as Chelsea’s last-minute win against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Secondary schools can learn more about Sky Sports Living for Sport and sign up today at www.skysports.com/livingforsport
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NOTES TO EDITORS:
For more information about Sky Sports Living for Sport, please visit http://livingforsport.skysports.com
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About Sky Sports Living for Sport
Sky Sports Living for Sport, delivered in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust, uses sport stars and sport skills to improve the lives of thousands of young people in secondary schools across the UK.
Since the initiative launched in 2003, 50,000 young people in over 2,700 schools across the UK have benefitted by using sport to improve their lives. Last year over 1,000 schools planned Sky Sports Living for Sport projects and there were 1,385 Athlete Mentor visits to schools. The key areas of focus for the initiative are: self confidence and self-esteem, attitudes to learning, health and wellbeing, and encouraging students to reach their full potential.
Sky Sports Living for Sport has enjoyed remarkable success, with 96 per cent of projects deemed to have been ‘successful’ or ‘very successful’ according to teachers polled in an Institute of Youth Sport survey during the 2010/11 academic year.
The research also revealed that of pupils who had participated in Sky Sports Living for Sport, over 80% have benefitted from being involved in the project and have shown a positive improvement in their self-confidence, self-esteem and their attitudes to learning.
Sky Sports Living for Sport forms part of Sky's wider commitment to the community through The Bigger Picture.
